RWANDA: Visit The Red Rocks Art Centre

Red Rocks Camping site, a getaway tucked deep in Nyakinama sector, just a few metres from Musanze Polytechnic in Musanze district in Northern province.

Red Rocks is not new despite the modest number that visit the site. But from August 26 to September 2, the site has lined up a number of activities under the Cultural Tourism Week.

The activities, which kicked off earlier last week in preparation, are a must-experience adventure of the ancient Rwandan lifestyle, tradition and customs.

“We have been developing this concept since 2014, as a means of bringing together the community and guests who have always honoured the Kwita Izina annual ceremony. We want people to go beyond just the gorillas,” said Greg Bakunzi, founder of Red Rocks, and one of the event’s organisers.

In a tour, which lasts over two and a half hours, a lot is on offer.

Experience Rwanda’s heritage. From manufacturing, processing and farming, one gets to experience hands-on activities. First off is the pottery section, where two women are molding. This is one of the country’s traditions practised by the Batwa.

From gourds and plates to cooking pots, smoking pipes and sculptures the women show the process of making art out of clay, which ends up in the kiln.

The cooking place is another remarkable spot, where food like cassava, sorghum or millet bread (umutsima or rukacarara), boiled or grilled cassava and sweet potatoes are prepared. On the cooking stones, a fire is made, then cooking pots are placed. One is taken through the process of a cooking a Rwandan meal.

Umutobe (banana juice) could be taken by people of all ages from infants to the elderly. Urwangwa (Banana beer or wine) was made by adding sorghum flour. The inturire or nkangaza was another form of complex beer made from a mixture of honey.

Saving as a culture is shown by the traditional way of storage among Rwandans. The granaries store the excess harvest of sorghum, maize, beans and other food crops.

Other activities are youth training through imihigo, hunting and such to shape the true intwari (heroes), basket weaving, milking and cattle rearing tradition, ukwivuga (self appraisals), poetry, traditional dressings and dance.

Red Rocks also has the Stone Club and African Restaurant, which serve a blend of traditional drinks from honey, banana beer and juice to modern drinks too, while an assortment of music is played as the evening draws in.

Ancient Rwandan outfits will be on display by Rwanda Cultural Fashion week, an initiative specialising in showcasing of exquisite Rwandan outfits and hairstyles going as far back as the 1920s.

Special about this year’s Cultural Tourism Week is that the whole sail into the hand-on experience is entirely free of charge according to organisers. We can barely estimate the money spent on it, but we would like the public to first have a feel of this experience so that it can be weighed.

RWANDA: Kwita Izina, The Baby Gorilla Naming Ceremony

Rwanda will host the 12th annual Kwita Izina, the gorilla naming ceremony inspired by the ancient Rwandan tradition of naming babies soon after they are born, on Friday the 02nd of September.

In the 11 years since the event was established, two hundred and sixteen mountain gorilla babies have been named in a celebration of nature together with the communities who protect our majestic mountain gorillas.

The event this year is expected to bring together thousands of Rwandans, friends of Rwanda and even celebrities to Kinigi at the foothills of the Volcanoes National Park.

Launched in 2005 by the then independent ORTPN, the Rwandan Office for Tourism and National Parks which has since become part of RDB, the Rwanda Development Board, is Kwita Izina a uniquely Rwandan event.

Here it is not only a celebration and naming of newly born mountain gorilla babies, but also serves to raise awareness of the importance of the protection of species and their habitats at community, national, regional and international levels.

Last year’s Kwita Izina saw 500 international and 20,000 local attendees travel to Kinigi, where the Volcanoes National Park headoffice is located, a short distance from the town of Musanze.

With now less than two months leading to the 2016 edition, here are the top 10 reasons why one shouldn’t miss the opportunity to be a part of Kwita Izina 2016.

1. Kwita Izina; a hybrid platform for Conservation and Sustainable Tourism

Kwita Izina 2016 has evolved into a hybrid event on the global calendar, with a series of activities focused on conservation and sustainable tourism. These activities, which will take place from 27th August to 2nd September, include the Naming Ceremony, a ‘Conversation on Conservation’ Conference, a Conservation and Tourism exhibition, community project launches, a fundraising gala dinner and unique to only this event; specially prepared Kwita Izina scientific tours.

International, regional and local conservation stakeholders will table and discuss topical issues on the preservation of wildlife and biodiversity through a ‘Conservation on Conservation’ forum while tourism businesses will showcase their products and services to global buyers through the Conservation and Tourism Exhibition and the B2B.

2. Conservation is a celebration of life!

Kwita Izina or ‘to give a name’ in the local vernacular language Kinyarwanda, is a celebration of a new life. The event is held annually in September to name Rwanda’s newborn baby gorillas. The name attributed to a mountain gorilla baby plays a significant role in the ongoing programme of monitoring each individual gorilla in its family group and habitat. When this first started, gorilla naming was an internal programme used by Park field staff and conservation partners. Once considered one of the world’s most endangered species and on the verge of extinction, the number of mountain gorillas in the Virunga Massif has seen remarkable growth with a 26% population increase from 2004-2010 alone.

A census is ongoing to determine current overall numbers in the Virunga Massif. Conserving these species and their eco-systems as well as biodiversity at large is critical for Rwanda since the country depend on these natural resources. Tourism based on gorilla tracking has become a major economic factor and it is therefore important for Rwanda and RDB to share this message with the world through this platform.

3. Mountain Gorilla Baby Twins!

Twin gorillas are not only extremely rare but they are also absolutely adorable. Twins have been born in Rwanda for the 3rd time since records have been kept; the first pair was born in 2005, the second in 2012 and now another pair of twins this year which is considered a blessing for conservation efforts.

4. Rwanda’s commendable conservation policies and tourism revenue sharing scheme

In Rwanda, conservation and development are inseparable because preserving and sustainable use of natural resources are now ingrained in society and have become one of the country's greatest social and economic assets. Rwanda invested in building awareness about the value of the country's four national parks especially to the communities that live around the parks. In addition has a scheme been put into place whereby 5% of all tourism revenue goes back to the communities surrounding the parks.

This fund has helped build schools, hospitals, community centres and support other community development projects like water harvesting and storage schemes. Through the transboundary collaboration between the only three countries in the world with Mountain Gorillas namely Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo has the region seen significant growth in gorilla numbers since the first census was conducted in 1989 when there were only 320 mountain gorillas while in 2010 the number had grown to 400. This number is predicted to have more than doubled when the latest census figures will be published early next year.

5. Igitaramo and Community Project Launches

Each year Rwanda celebrates the launch of new the community projects that have resulted from the tourism revenue sharing scheme during the past year.

A number of such new projects will be announced on the day prior to the naming ceremony at which time a community celebration, Igitaramo, will be staged. This is RDB’s way of saying thank you to the communities neighbouring the parks for helping and playing a crucial role in conservation efforts. Igitaramo celebrations are planned nearby each of Rwanda’s major National Parks like Akagera, Nyungwe and of course the most high profile one, Volcanoes.

6. Kwita Izina Gala Dinner at the new Kigali Convention Centre (27th August)

This will mark the start of a 5-day conservation and sustainable tourism series of events that will culminate in the annual naming ceremony.

Conservationists, philanthropists, tourism industry players and Captains of Industry will gather at the fundraising gala dinner to network and build partnerships in the quest to protect biodiversity globally.

Through this event, Rwanda will raise funds for conservation projects that have been identified as priorities for Kwita Izina 2016. The projects include creating a permanent site for the Mountain Gorilla Skeletal Project, establishment of a sanctuary for Grey Crowned Cranes and the establishment of an eco-lodge outside the main entrance gate at Akagera National Park.

7. Tourism and Conservation Exhibition (28-29 August)

This platform will bring together top quality tourism buyers looking for new African travel markets and regional tourism boards and conservationists showcasing their products. The exhibition will provide networking opportunities and host several lively presentations throughout the two days. The event will open to the public on Sunday when local consumers will learn about Rwanda's domestic tourism products and services, and will benefit from special offers promoted at the various exhibition stands.

8. Conversation on Conservation Forum (29-30 August)
The high-level ‘Conversation on Conservation’ forum returns after a successful launch in 2015. It provides a unique platform linking conservation with sustainable tourism, embracing all layers of the value chain, from community to governments, private sector to NGOs but crucially also scientists and researchers. The overall objective of the ‘Conversation on Conservation’ is to discuss Africa’s common conservation challenges, debate best solutions and ideas through group workshop forums, present proposals for activation to a High-level VIP Panel for consideration and agree on resolutions, outcomes and commitment to implementation. Keynote speakers are important influencers in the Conservation world and will be announced shortly right here.

9. Customized Scientific Tours (31st August)

Featuring on the Kwita Izina week calendar for the first time ever are scientific tours. Through these exclusive tours where a limited number of visitors will have an opportunity to participate in a ‘behind the scenes’ conservation tour experience. This is a truly unique opportunity to interact with park officials, scientists and researchers, and to experience first-hand what goes on behind the scenes in Rwanda’s incredible mountain gorilla conservation programmes.

10. Naming Ceremony (2nd September)

The gorilla naming ceremony featuring cultural performances and renditions from local entertainers is the climax of the Kwita Izina week. The event convenes over 20,000 guests in Kinigi at the foothills of the Volcano Mountains in the Northern Province of Rwanda. Every year important players from both the conservation and tourism industries attend the event.

Naming a mountain gorilla baby is considered a great honour. Baby Gorilla Namers are carefully chosen to include individuals from Rwanda, the region, the African continent and from overseas who have made significant contributions to conservation efforts both in Rwanda and the world. This correspondent was privileged to be among past Namers of gorillas though with a twist. All other Namers are given young born gorilla babies to name while in this case it was an adolescent female which had joined a habituated group from the wild and was subsequently named 'Umutungo' or 'Good Fortune' for having found shelter and protection with the Sabinyo group of habituated mountain gorillas. She gave birth the following year.

Globally renowned individuals are often called upon on to name the babies and last year was Dr. Allan Karlsson, senior conservation advisor at the World Wide Fund For Nature (WWF) among the Namers together with Amy Vedder, a pioneer of conservation work with mountain gorillas and Yale University Professor, the manager of Phinda Reserve that donated lions to Akagera National Park, Simon Naylor, a senior fellow for Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas at the U.S. Department of State, Dr. Janaki Alavalapati; the founder and CEO of the African Leadership Group, Fred Swaniker and the son of the founder of the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project in Rwanda, Frank Keesling, among others.

Expect live reports from all the above mentioned events in late August as well as from the main naming ceremony on the 02nd of September.

RWANDA: 24 Baby Mountain Gorillas Named

Rwanda named two-dozen baby mountain gorillas in an annual ceremony Saturday that highlights the African country's efforts to protect the endangered animals, which attract large numbers of foreign tourists to the volcano-studded forests where they live.

The young gorillas, identified by trackers and researchers, were in their wild habitat nearby and not at the naming event Saturday in Kinigi, near the entrance to Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda. But Rwandan President Paul Kagame was among thousands of people who gathered there to celebrate the threatened population of mountain gorillas, whose image adorns numerous sculptures in Rwanda as well as a national currency banknote.

The Rwandan government hopes the naming ceremony, which began in 2005 and is based on a similar tradition among Rwandans, will highlight the importance of protecting mountain gorillas as well as promote the tourism industry, the country's top foreign currency earner. Researchers also refer to the names to identify gorillas and their families while conducting studies in the wild.

The names bestowed on the gorillas on Saturday included the words for "Power," ''Courage" and Conviviality" in the Rwandan language.

Rwanda's mountain gorillas live in the Virunga Massif, which spans Volcanoes National Park as well as parks in neighboring Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Another population of mountain gorillas lives in a separate area of Uganda.

The numbers of mountain gorillas dropped dramatically in the last century because of poaching, disease and human encroachment on their habitats. The total population of mountain gorillas is currently an estimated 900; conservationists say the population has been increasing in recent years.

About Kwita Izina
Naming a newly born baby has been part of Rwandan culture and tradition for centuries. Given the remarkable efforts by the Government of Rwanda, through the Rwanda Development Board, and in collaboration with various conservation partners and local communities , to actively protect the Mountai n Gorillas and their habitat, the old naming century’s tradition was modelled on these species to get the national brand known as “Kwita Izina”.

Names attributed to the gorillas play a significant role in the on-going programme of monitoring each individual gorilla in their families and habitat. Kwita Izina, a uniquely Rwandan event, was introduced in 2005 with the aim of creating awareness of conservation efforts for the endangered mountain gorilla.

For three decades prior to the first official gorilla naming ceremony, the naming of baby gorillas was carried out with little awareness amidst the public by the rangers and researchers that closely monitor these unique animals on a daily basis.

Kwita Izina has been attended by thousands of international, regional and local participants over the recent years. The Government of Rwanda and conservation partners have donated substantial resources to gorilla conservation and continue to do so. Each year new born gorilla babies are celebrated in an exciting event at the foothills of the Virunga Mountains .

Tourism that focuses on natural environments is a large and growing part of the tourism industry in Rwanda. While it can contribute in a positive manner to soci o-economic development and environmenta l protection, uncontrolled tourism growth can also cause environmental degradation, destruction of fragile ecosystems, and social and cultural conflict, undermining the basis of tourism. Therefore, considering that natural forests constitute 8.7% of the national territory, conservation continues to play a crucial role in the country’s development.

Eleventh Annual Kwita Izina 2015

On 5th September, 2015, the Rwanda Development Board hosted the eleventh Kwita Izina, naming 24 baby gorillas, the newest arrivals born after last year’s ceremony.

This year’s Kwita Izina will take place as we embark on carrying out another g eneral census of the gorilla population in the Virunga Massif following the one that was carried out in 2010. In 2010, the gorilla population registered a 26,3% growth in a period of 7 years from 2003.

The theme for Kwita Izina 2015 is conserving now and for the future

The private sector has explored expansive business opportunities around conservation efforts that have been harnessed into ongoing profitable and viable business ventures. As a result, the tourism sector has registered continued growth through attracting international hospitality brands and businesses .

Since 2007, tourism has been the leading sector in foreign exchange earnings for the country. The objective is to grow tourism revenues by 25% per annum as projected in the Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy 2.